| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Economist by Xenophon: wife, and the husband's clothing both for festivals and war; then the
bedding used in the women's apartments, and the bedding used in the
men's apartments; then the women's shoes and sandals, and the shoes
and sandals of the men.[10] There was one division devoted to arms and
armour; another to instruments used for carding wood; another to
implements for making bread; another to utensils for cooking
condiments; another to utensils for the bath; another connected with
the kneading trough; another with the service of the table. All these
we assigned to separate places, distinguishing one portion for daily
and recurrent use and the rest for high days and holidays. Next we
selected and set aside the supplies required for the month's
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling: "What is it, Son?" she said.
"Some bat's chatter of Shere Khan," he called back. "I hunt
among the plowed fields tonight," and he plunged downward through
the bushes, to the stream at the bottom of the valley. There he
checked, for he heard the yell of the Pack hunting, heard the
bellow of a hunted Sambhur, and the snort as the buck turned at
bay. Then there were wicked, bitter howls from the young wolves:
"Akela! Akela! Let the Lone Wolf show his strength. Room for
the leader of the Pack! Spring, Akela!"
The Lone Wolf must have sprung and missed his hold, for Mowgli
heard the snap of his teeth and then a yelp as the Sambhur knocked
The Jungle Book |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Montezuma's Daughter by H. Rider Haggard: said, in appearance I was very Spanish, and the hindrance of the
language was one that lessened every day, since having already
learned it from my mother, and taking every opportunity to read and
speak it, within six months I could talk Castilian except for some
slight accent, like a native of the land. Also I have a gift for
the acquiring of languages.
When I was come to Seville, and had placed my baggage in an inn,
not one of the most frequented, I set out to deliver a letter of
recommendation to a famous physician of the town whose name I have
long forgotten. This physician had a fine house in the street of
Las Palmas, a great avenue planted with graceful trees, that has
Montezuma's Daughter |
The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from The Lesson of the Master by Henry James: attitude he presently felt a hand on his shoulder and a friendly
voice in his ear "This is good. I hoped I should find you. I came
down on purpose." St. George was there without a change of dress
and with a fine face - his graver one - to which our young man all
in a flutter responded. He explained that it was only for the
Master - the idea of a little talk - that he had sat up, and that,
not finding him, he had been on the point of going to bed.
"Well, you know, I don't smoke - my wife doesn't let me," said St.
George, looking for a place to sit down. "It's very good for me -
very good for me. Let us take that sofa."
"Do you mean smoking's good for you?"
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